Antidrip device



March 7, 1944. s ELSAESSER 2,343,287

AN'I'IDRIP DEVICE Filed Jan. 23. 1941 INIENTOR.

FRANK S. ELSAESSER ATrOR -57 for absorbing Patented Mar. 7, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ANTIDRIP DEVICE Frank S. Elsaesser, Cincinnati, Ohio Application January 23, 1941, Serial No. 375,659

4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in an anti-drip device or coaster for use on glass receptacles adapted forcontaining liquid and fluid from which said liquid or fluid is consumed.

As is well known in the dispensing and consumption of cold drinks considerable sweating takes place on the outside of the glassware as well as spillage. The moisture collects on the exterior of the glassware and either remains quiescent thereon or runs to the bottom whereby when the glass is lifted and tilted this moisture runs to the lowest the users clothes of the" user.

point and falls in drops on to or table immediately in front This invention pertains to a means this collected moisture to avoid the difficulties above enumerated.

In the past, attempts have been made to obviate this condition by a more or less expensive anti-drip device or coaster or if an inexpensive coaster were provided it was in the form of a separate collector on which the glass rests or was extremely cumbersome and inconvenient to apply to the glass. These coasters or anti-drip devices took the form of a permanent member seourable to the glass by springs or spring arms and required washing or other means of sterilization between successive uses; if in 'the form of a napkin they had to be folded and securing means individually applied for each use.

For obvious reasons the anti-drip device and coasters just described could not be used in drink dispensing establishments such as restaurants, taverns and the like, since the time involved in applying and detaching the coaster and in cleaning or sterilizing them would be too expensive to be practical. The coaster or anti-drip device of the present invention, which may be readily termed slipper, is made of inexpensive material and can be readily applied to glasses and removed therefrom and discarded without any appreciable cost as to time and initial investment. It is therefore the principal object of the present invention to provide a coaster in the form of a slipper made of inexpensive material and 1 absorbent to absorb moisture that flows down the exterior of the glass and collects at the bottoms thereof.

Another object of this invention is to provide an anti-drip slipper which can be readily slid onto the bottom of a glass and readily stripped therefrom.

A further object of this invention is the provision of an anti-drip device formed of absorbent paper stock wherein an extremely simple blank is employed and'can be readily fashioned into a removable slipped adapted particularly for-use with stem and footed ware.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention should be readily apparent by reference to the following specification considered in conjunction with theaccompanying drawing forming a part thereof and it is to be understood that any modification may be made in the exact structural details there shown and described, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from or exceeding the spirit of the invention.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of the stem or foot of a glass having the anti-drip device of this invention attached thereto.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the foot of the glass of Fig". 1' as seen when taking a section through the stem on line 22 on Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a. sectional view taken on line 3-3 on Fig. 2 and showing one form of fastening means employed in assembling the anti-drip device.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of an extended blank used in forming the anti-drip device.

Fig. 5 is an elevational view of the anti-drip device before being placed on a glass.

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view through the anti-drip device taken on line 6-6 on Fig. 5.

Fig. '7 is a view similar to Fig. 4, on a smaller scale, showing a second means of attachment of the parts to form the anti-drip device.

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 4 showing a slight modification in the parts for forming an anti-drip device of the same construction of this invention.

Fig. 9 is an elevational view of the anti-drip device formed by the blank of Fig. 8.

Throughout the several views of the drawing similar reference characters are employed to denote the same or similar parts.

As was noted above it is the prime purpose of the present invention to provide an anti-drip device or coaster for use in beverage dispensing establishments such as restaurants. taverns and the like. In order that these anti-drip devices may be used by these establishments it is necessary that they be inexpensive in first cost and inexpensive in the consumption of time in applying and stripping same from the glass. In order to meet the first requirement inexpensive materials must be employed and a. simple technique made clear the anti-drip device of this invention meets these requirements and is a practical construction.

As was noted above the anti-drip device or slipper of this invention is particularly intended for use with stem and footed ware such as indicated in Fig. 1 where the body I I] of the glass has projecting from it the stem II terminating in a foot I2. The anti-drip device or slipper on the foot I2 comprises,,in general, a bottom I3 and top I4.

As seen in Fig; 4 the anti-drip device is formed from a blank which comprises a disc I5 which in final assembly forms the bottom I3 and a semi-disc I6 which in final assembly forms the top I4. At one point the disc I5 and semi-disc 16 are joined together by a neck II. It should be noted that this neck I1 is a preferable construction, but the disc I5 and semi-disc I6 may be separate parts and secured to one another in superimposed relation at a point substantially coincidental with the neck l1. Preferably the disc I5 is formed to a radius indicated R1 somewhat greater than the radius of the foot I2 so as to'provide a lip l8 on the bottom I3 which extends beyond the periphery of the foot I2 as indicated in Fig. 2. Thesemi-disc-IG is preferably formed to a radius Rzwhichis somewhat greater than the radius R1. Thesemi-disc I6 is superimposed on the disc I5,- by folding the blank through the neck IT and then the periphery of the semi-disc I6 is caused to coincide with the periphery of the disc I5 so that said semi-disc It takes the position indicated in phantom lines on disc I5. ;With the parts in this position they are fastened to one another in any suitable or desirable manner such as by moisture proof glue or cement or by the fastening members I9, commonly referred. to as staples.

The staples, see Fig. 3, have a top body mem- "her or bar 23 from the opposite ends of which depend arms 2I- and 22 which pierce the material and have their free ends 23 and 24 bent toward one another and effect a clamp of the material between themselves and the top bar all as is well understood.

" By this construction the disc I5 provides the bottom I3 of the slipper which lies perfectly flat while the semi-disc I5 forms the top l4 and is normally arced with respect to the bottom as seen clearly in Fig. 5. By this construction there is provided an opening 25 between the center of the disc I5 or bottom I3 and the same point of the semi-disc I6 or top I4 vertically above. This opening 25 is greater than the thickness at the edge of the foot I2 wherefore the foot is laterally insertable into the said opening but the opening is smaller than the thickness of the foot at its thickest point adjacent with the stem I I wherefore a wedging action is obtained upon sliding the foot I2 entirely within the pocket 26 formed between the anti-drip device top and bottom. The arc shape of the top, as illustrated in Fig. 5, takes the form or follows the contour of the foot I2 when same is forced thereinto as seen in Fig. l. Any sweating of the glass I0 or spillage which flows down onto the glass and on to the foot I2 is caught by the lip I8 of the bottom I3, whether this moisture flowsfreely off of the foot I2 or flows when the glass is tilted as in the act of drinking therefrom.

While the anti-drip device of this invention, and above described, may be formed of any material having the proper absorption quality it is preferably formed of paper such for example the so called blotting paper." Also it is preferable that the absorbing material be backed by a layer of non-absorbing material, which in the case of paper takes the form of a hard calendered paper exteriorly of and beneath the bottom I2. In the drawing the absorbing layer of material or paper is indicated by the reference numeral 21 while the non-absorbing layer as indicated by the reference numeral 28. In this connection it should be noted that the top I4 or semi-disc I6 may have its non-absorbing layer removed so that the two layers 21 and 28 are only essential on the disc I5, and its inner edge is indicated by the broken line 29 in the blank of Fig. '7.

In order that the top I4 may cover the maximum amount of the upper surface of the foot I2 and thereby offer the maximum amount of attaching means, the semi-disc I6 is provided with a cut out portion 30 at its free end to provide space for encircling the stem II.

In the blank illustrated in Fig. '7 use is made of a disc I5 identical in all respects with disc I5 of Fig. 4 to which is connected as by a neck IT a semi-disc IS. The radii of disc l5 and semi-disc I6 bear the same relation to one another as do those of disc I5 and semi-disc I6 and are so indicated by reference characters R1 and R2. Disc I6 at the opposite ends of its free edge is provided with extending tabs 3| and 32. which may be employed for attaching the semi-disc I6 in superimposed relation to the disc I5. With this type of construction use may be conveniently made of glue, cementor the like 33 which can be pressed into engagement with the under surface of the disc I5 as indicated in phantom lines in Fig. '7. I

The anti-drip device or slipper formed from the blank of Fig. '7 will have a final contour substantially identical with that in Figs. 5 and 6; and it will operate in the same manner.

The blank illustrated in Fig. 8 comprises a disc 34 and a semi-disc35 joined together by a neck 36 with the free edge of the semi-disc 35 cut out or relieved at 31. In this blank the disc 34 and semi-disc 35 are each cut to the same radius indicated by the reference character R3. With this blank and superimposing the semi-disc 35 Onto the disc 34, as shown in phantom lines in Fig. 8, there is provided an anti-drip device or slipper having its bottom and top lying in parallel superimposed planes as illustrated in Fig. 9. -With this construction the pocket 26 is not provided nor is the opening 25 to said pocket 25. It is-therefore necessary that the parts be slightly separated to permit the insertion of the foot I2 between the top and bottom thereof. I

This, with the constructi n just described, can be readily accomplished by placing the assembled coaster on a counter or table top38 and exerting a slight pressure against the sides of the coaster at theends of the superimposed semi-disc 35 cause the top of'the coaster to are as indicated in phantom lines at 39 in Fig. 9. This then provides an opening or entrant throat 40 similar tothat indicated by the reference character 25 above and permit the insertion of the foot I2 into the coaster.

From the foregoing it will now be appreciated that there has been provided an inexpensive coaster, anti-drip device, or slipper formed of extremely inexpensive material, of an extremely simple design and construction and readily mounted on a glass. and just as readily removed therefrom. It should also be noted that the material or paper stock from which the coasteris formed, is such as to have the inherent quality of taking the form and size of Fig. 1 from that illustrated in Fig. 5 and which quality also insures the retention of the slipper on the foot during ise.

What is claimed is:

1. In an anti-drip device of the class described, the combination of a base member adapted to underlie the foot of a receptacle and a top member adapted to overlie a portion of said foot, said top member having a portion of its periphery coincident with and secured to the periphery of the base member, and having the remaining portion of its periphery as an edge extending transversely of the base member substantially intersecting the center of the base member, said edge of the top member being of a greater dimension than a line on the base member immediately therebelow, whereby said edge of the top member is permanently arched across the base member and whereby said top member extends downwardly from its free edge to the periphery of the member to form. a pocket and entrant throat for a receptacle foot member.

2. In an anti-drip device of the class described, the combination of a base member adapted to underlie the foot of a receptacle and a top member adapted to overlie a portion of said foot, said top member having a portion of its periphery coincident with and secured to the periphery of the base member, and having the remaining portion of its periphery as an edge extending transversely of the base member substantially intersecting the center of the base member, said edge if the top member being of a greater dimension than a line on the base member immediately therebelow, whereby said edge of the top member is permanently arched across the base member and whereby said top member eXtends downwardly from its free edge to the periphery of the base member to form a pocket and entrant throat for the receptacle foot member, said base member having an absorbent upper surface and a non-absorbent lower surface.

3. In an anti-drip device of the class described, the combination of a base member formed to a given radius and having an area greater than the area of the foot of a receptacle to be supported thereon for providing a lip beyond said foot, a top member of an area less than the area of the base member formed to a radius greater than the radius of the base member and of a peripheral contour, in part, similar to the peripheral contour of the base member and, in part, of an edge extending transversely of the base member, and means for securing the base member and top member to one another with the similar peripheral contours secured in coincident contact, whereby said transverse edge of the top member is permanently arched across the base member and the top member inclines rearwardly and downwardly from its transverse edge to its peripherally attached border to form a pocket between said base member and top member.

4. A blank for forming an anti-drip device comprising a portion forming the base member and formed to a given radius, and a portion to form the top thereof of an area less than the area of the base portion, formed to a radius greater than the radius of the base member and hingedly connected to the base member at a point on the longitudinal center of the blank.

FRANK s. ELSAESSER. 

